


Colin's Diagnosis

by Greenfrogger



Category: Whose Line Is It Anyway? RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 14:53:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4440119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenfrogger/pseuds/Greenfrogger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin is diagnosis with an illness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colin's Diagnosis

Ryan was finally happy to have Colin settled in his new place within walking distance of Ryan’s house. 

He had a feeling something was up with his best friend but never thought minor memory lapses would be diagnosis with the beginning of Alzheimer’s and was shocked when Colin told him.

Within a week of the diagnosis, Colin’s wife Deb couldn’t deal with the fact that, as she so elegantly said, was losing his mind. She called the Stiles household to talk to Ryan, but Pat answered and Deb told Pat that she was sending Colin on a one-way ticket on Air Canada to Seattle for Ryan to deal with him. 

She told Pat that the flight was tomorrow and she thought he landed around 10:00 a.m. Seattle time. Then promptly hung up.

Pat immediately called Ryan at Upfront and told him the news.

“I say hello, Ryan and she tells me she’s sending him on a one-way trip to Seattle for you to deal with him,” Pat tells him.

“So much for health and sickness, unh? I did tell you to expect this.”

“Yeah, but I can still tell you I’m surprised. Obviously, he’s welcomed here with open arms. What do you want me to do?”

“Call our lawyer and explain what’s going on. He won’t be able to make his own medical decisions soon and I’m not letting Deb anywhere near him again.”

Pat talked to the lawyer and got her going on what was needed to get her and Ryan power of attorney for Colin and be able to make all decision for him once he wasn’t able.

The other phone called Pat made was to Air Canada. Realizing that Colin was coming in on an international flight he had to go through customs. Heck, she wasn’t even sure if Deb would make sure that he got on the plane. Air Canada thanked her for letting them know, assured her that they would let the flight staff know of the situation, make sure that he got on the flight at Toronto first; and escort him off the plane first to customs and make sure that he met up with her and Ryan at Air Canada terminal at Sea-Tac.

 

Fortunately, Colin was having a good day and was completely lucid when he arrived in Seattle - so getting through customs was easy. A staff member from Air Canada escorted him to where Pat was standing. He was so happy to see Ryan and Pat and made the comment that he finally felt safe.

“I don’t have to go back to Toronto do I, Ryan?”

“No. You stay near us now, okay. We’ll find you somewhere awesome to live near us.”

Ryan’s phone rang with a number from Toronto that he did not recognize.

“Luke,” Colin said.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Stiles? I’m Colin’s son Luke. My mom just told me she just shipped, as she put it, my dad to you.”

“Yeah, he’s right here with me. He just made it through customs and we’re going to get his luggage.”

“Thank goodness. I’m sorry, my mother is being such an idiot and throwing him to you but I do appreciate it. God, I feel guilty because I should...”

“Luke, don’t. I’m glad to help, besides I don’t think,” Ryan turned away from Pat and Colin for a second, “too safe with your mom. He asked before you called if he had to go back and was relieved that he didn’t.”

“Let me know what I can do to help - I know all his medical records are here in Toronto but let me know what I can do to help you get them. And also, you and your wife to have the right to make decisions for him, especially when he can’t.

 

A week later, Ryan and Pat were now in complete control of everything for Colin, including finances, medical decisions, and could sign for him. Thanks to Luke for flying out to Seattle to drop off medical records and to see his Dad for one more good visit. During the few days that Luke was there Colin would have some difficulty at remembering who he was and would look at Ryan for help. When Luke said goodbye to go back to Toronto everyone but probably Colin knew it was for the last time.

“Colin, I’ll be right back,” Ryan said and followed Luke out the door.

“Luke,” Ryan said, seeing the tears forming in his eyes.

Luke hugged Ryan, not really knowing what to say but grateful that he and his wife were doing this for his dad.

“Call anytime to check in on him,” Ryan told him. “And I’ll try and do the same.”

“I feel like a failure. Mom and I were suppose to take care of him and...”   
“Luke, this is not your fault. Yes, I’m upset with your mom but I think she did the right thing and sent him to me. He’s going to live the rest of his life as happy as can be. Granted we’ll all be in tears about it because we know in reality what’s actually happening. But he won’t - I just want to make his last days sunshine and roses.”

The cab pulled up and that was the last time he spoke to Luke in person until Colin’s funeral. At least Luke kept in contact with Ryan to see how his dad was and made it to Colin’s deathbed a couple of days before he passed.

 

They had found the perfect place for Colin that was within walking distance of the Stiles home. Some of the staff knew who Ryan and Colin were but didn’t make a big deal about it. The first night there did not go well for Colin - he became agitated; scared; and confused about everything. He was doing fine when Ryan and Pat left at 3:00 but as the sun went down around 8:00 things changed.

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Stiles, but....”

“No, problem.”

“We had to restrain him because we were afraid of what he could do - unfortunately, in these cases we never know what people are capable of. So please don’t freak out about that and once you say to remove them we will.”

Ryan wasn’t prepared emotionally to see Colin in restraints, screaming his head off, scared out of his mind. “Ryan,” Colin cried as soon as he saw him.

“Off, now please,” he realized it was for his own good but still it hurt him to see Colin like that.

“I’m right here buddy; I’m right here Colin,” Ryan told him as he laid on the bed with him. All Colin could do was cry and hold on to him.

Ryan thought after a few moments that Colin had fallen asleep; after all they gave him as much sedative as they could but sometimes anxiety wins over.

“I’m so fucking scared Ryan. I couldn’t even remember my own son’s name when he was there. I can’t even remember what month it is or year. I just got so scared all of a sudden - I didn’t recognize where I was at or any of these people were and I lost it. I have never been so frightened in all my life,” the men held on to one another and cried.

When they took a moment apart so they could breathe, “Most of all Ryan, I’m afraid of forgetting you,” Colin whispered.

“I wish I could tell you that you won’t but I’m not going to make a promise like that,” Ryan whispered back.

The men fell asleep snuggled together.

 

Pat realized her role in all this was to be Ryan’s support system. She had told Ryan that it was okay to spend all his time with Colin - especially now when he was lucid enough to realize who Ryan was. Even their kids were in agreement about that. They understood how important Colin was in their dad’s life.

 

Week after Colin had moved to his new living facility the house phone rang. Not recognizing the number Pat let it go to voicemail. When she played the message, she recognized the voice and the reason why he was calling. Pat had a good laughing fit about it. It was just so absurd about how angry Dan Patterson was about Ryan forgetting about Whose Line. Granted it was important to Dan but in the grand scheme of their lives not so much.

“Hey, Pat.”

“Hey, Ryan. Dan Pat...

“Shit. Totally forgot.”

“Do you want me to call him and tell him what’s going on?”

“No, I’ll do it. Colin ate and went back to sleep so I can. I love you, so much.”

“Love you too.”

 

“Dan,”

“Where the fuck are you, Stiles?”

“First of all calm down. I’m not going to get into a screaming match over the phone with you. I need to keep my voice down.”

“What? Why.... What’s going on,” Dan said in calm voice.

“I’m done with Whose Line right now. And Colin is never coming back.”

Ryan proceeded to explain the situation with Colin’s health and Ryan being his primary care taker. Dan had asked if he wanted him to say anything to the regulars and he said he would like to talk to them over a phone conference and tell them himself. Dan cancelled the taping and got Wayne, Jeff, Chip, Brad, Greg, Jonathan, Drew, Aisha, Laura and Linda together a few days later to have a phone conference with Ryan.

“Before you say anything please let me finish,” Ryan started to say over his home phone. Colin was taking his afternoon nap so Ryan thought it would be a good time. Pat sat quietly at their kitchen table for moral support

“Obviously, you guys know something is up because both Colin and I weren’t at the taping the other day. About a month ago my wife received a phone call from Colin’s wife indicating that she was sending him to Seattle on a one-way ticket for me to take care of him.” Ryan took a deep breath, paused and then stated the fact, “Colin has Alzheimer’s; granted it’s in the early stage but he can’t live on his own anymore. He’s living within walking distance of me in Bellingham in an assisted care facility. You guys are more then welcome to come up and visit with him. I’m sure it’s not a shock to some of us but for others it is. If you aren’t comfortable visiting him I understand. He’s mostly lucid, especially during the day. As the sun sets that’s when he gets a bit confused and that’s common. I do stay the night with him and hold him because right now it’s all about making his life as happy as possible.”

Brad probably was the only one not shocked by this news - it was Brad that had mentioned to Ryan that he thought something was up with Colin. That was after Brad had talked to Deb and Brad felt that she didn’t give a damn. He wasn’t expecting Alzheimer’s but wasn’t so surprised. Hell he wasn’t surprised that Deb sent him to Ryan for Ryan to take care of him. She always thought those two had some type of sexual relationship together.

 

One more time together - everyone including Dan and Mark took a flight up to Seattle to see Colin. Some of them had been friends for over 30 plus years and wanted one more time to say goodbye . It was a good visit with the gang - lots of tears were shed because they all knew, including Colin, that this was goodbye but there we’re lots of laughs as well.

Brad had rented his own car and told the guys that he would see them later as they left the home. He could tell this was taking a toll on Ryan and wanted to let him know that he would be more than happy to stay in Washington to help out.

“Can I talk to you for a moment, alone?” Brad asked Ryan.

“Yeah,” they stepped into a room that the center had for family members to have private conversations without strangers staring at them.

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ryan, come on,” Brad said and then pulled him into a bear hug. The tears just started to flow from Ryan’s eyes.

“It’s not fair, muffled Ryan. “It’s not fair at all,” Ryan held onto Brad for dear life.

“I know it’s not, Ryan,” Brad whispered as he rubbed Ryan’s back.

That would be the first time of many that they cried on each other shoulders and now Brad and Ryan would stay the night with Colin until the end.

 

Like two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients, Colin would succumb to pneumonia about a year later. Just before Colin got sick with pneumonia, they laid together on Colin’s bed with Ryan holding him, Colin whispered to Ryan, 

“My biggest fear is coming true - I’m forgetting who you are; I just want to die.”

Ryan didn’t know how to react. Ryan cried silent tears; kissed Colin on the forehead; and watch his best friend sleep. Brad had witnessed what happened. When Ryan got up to get some air; Brad followed him outside, grabbed ahold of him and let Ryan cry. Brad didn’t say a word - there was really nothing to say. Not like it’s going to be better or anything like that. Brad wondered if it was wrong to pray for the death of someone in a case like this. 

Alzheimer’s had really taken a toll on his memory - barely remembering who Ryan was anymore; Colin recognized Brad’s face because he was always there but really not knowing who he was anymore.

When pneumonia was suspected Ryan called Luke; truly believing that this might be the end so that he could get to his father’s bedside.

As pneumonia progressed Colin’s oxygen levels and heart rate had steadily gone down and Ryan along with Pat, Brad and Luke, decided to just make him comfortable and let him go. The Colin they knew anymore - he had a catheter in; diaper; feeding tube; more confused and scared then lucid; his speech was all mumbles making it hard for anyone to understand him.

Ryan had called Dan who called everyone else from Whose Line. They were all there - Luke, Ryan, Pat, Mac, Sam, Claire, Brad, Wayne, Jeff, Greg, Jonathan, Drew, Aisha, Laura and Linda. 

Chip was the last the one to make it - a few hours after everyone else. He was filming in Nashville, Tennessee when he received the message from Dan to drop everything and get his butt to Seattle. The producers threatened him with a lawsuit of not fulfulling his contract obligations but Chip did not care. He told them to go jump in a lake and do what they had to do - he was going to Seattle to say goodbye to a wonderful man that he thought of a father figure and a mentor in the world of improv. They ended up not suing him when they realized how much bad publicity it would bring the show and the network.

It felt like Colin held on long enough for Chip to get there. Within an hour of Chip arriving, Colin went home to what Ryan hoped was Heaven.

Slowly, Mac, Sam, Claire, along with Pat left the room to the lobby of the home first to give the Whose Line group and Luke a moment.

Jonathan, Chip, Jeff, Laura, Linda, along with Aisha followed out about 5 minutes or so later.

Drew, Wayne, Dan, and Mark followed to the lobby a few minutes later.  
Left in the room with Colin was Greg, Brad, Ryan and Luke.

“Colin, buddy - I hope you’re flying with the angels now. Keep an eye on all of us, I know we’re going to need it,” Greg said. Greg first went to Luke and gave him a hug, then Brad, and then to Ryan.

“Oh, Ryan,” Greg said as he gave Ryan a hug, realizing that Ryan hadn’t let go of Colin’s left hand yet. “I’m so sorry buddy. I wish I had some magical word to make you feel better. I know you he’s no longer in pain but that’s nothing compared to not having here anymore.” He kissed Ryan on the cheek. Then he grabbed Brad to talk to him privately for a moment while Luke was saying his goodbye.

Luke was on Colin’s other side. He talked to his dad about various things including how much he loved him and missed him. Then kissed him on the cheek and left, along with Greg left the room.

Once they left the room, it was eerily quite. Brad and Ryan had both become accustomed to the noise of the machines that had kept Colin alive. Brad sat down behind Ryan. Brad was at a loss of what to exactly do. He didn’t want to upset Ryan by being all feely with him because that’s not usually what Ryan wanted; so Brad decided to just sit behind him and let Ryan control the scene.

It took Ryan a minute to gather his emotions together so he could actually speak and not just cry like a blubbering idiot. “Colin, you are and always will be my best buddy in the world. I hate to say this because I wish that you were still sitting to my left on Whose’s Line stage but I’m glad you’re not suffering anymore. I’m not sure what I’ll do now without you here but I’m sure our friends,” Ryan pauses and looks behind him at Brad. They share a tear streak smile and Ryan continues - “won’t let me dwell to much on you not being here physically. You did promise that you would watch over me and everyone so I’m holding you to that promise.” Ryan stood up, leans over and gave Colin one last kiss before dropping Colin’s hand on the bed and moving towards the door.

“Oh, shit Brad. How fucking weird was that?” Ryan asks before the two leave the room. Ryan just wanted a few minutes to get his emotions under check.

“What do you mean?” Brad was confused.

“Chip finally gets here from Nashville, and what, 30 minutes later Colin takes his last breath. It was like he waited for him - knowing that he was coming.”

“I had prayed that God would wait until Chip got here. I know he literally dropped everything and just came with the clothes on his back.”

“Brad - now what do I do?”

“Ryan, I haven’t a clue but we can do is go to your house. I know that Pat has bought beer and snacks and all us can sit around a fire - drink, eat, and talk. We’ll pass the box of tissues too around because you won’t be the only one crying.”

“Brad,” Ryan tried to say something

“I know Ryan,” Brad said putting his arms around him, letting Ryan cry. “It’s going to be a rough week but we’ll all get through it together.

Together, holding each other up, Brad and Ryan walked out of Colin’s room one last time to friends and family who were ready to embrace them.

 

News, nowadays travel fast because of the internet. But in the case of Colin’s health no one outside of the cast and family knew he was even sick. There were rumors around that maybe one of the three members were sick but no one would deny or confirm the fact. There was no explanation from the network as to why Whose Line hadn’t return for a new season; nor would executives say that it was cancelled. It was temporary on hold.

Colin had told Ryan that he didn’t want a funeral If Ryan wanted to have a memorial with family and friends that was fine but don’t make a big deal about his death. So Ryan, honoring Colin’s wishes had a memorial in the best way possible - he invited everyone that sat in one of the four chairs on Whose’s Line over the years - whether British or American - Clive, Drew, or Aisha hosting. He told them to bring their families with them - and have them sit in the audience. They had known about Colin but he wanted Colin to have one more send off. While it was a lot more footage then they ever would need for a half hour show - Ryan and Dan decided to do a one hour show showing the best of Colin where Ryan announced the following in the beginning with all the improvers by his side:

“Hi everyone. For those that don’t know me I’m Ryan Stiles and I have been on this show Whose Line for over 20 years. By looking at all us together - British or American - you probably have come to the conclusion that we are missing our favorite Canadian. Colin Andrew Mochrie died as a result of pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease on his 60th birthday which was November 30, 2017. He fought the battle as strong as he could but unfortunately the disease won. So we honor my best friend; the funniest man I knew with the best of Colin Mochrie.” Then Ryan kissed his fingers and reached for the sky to send his love to Colin.

 

When the best of show aired, Ryan invited everyone to his house. Luke, Brad, Wayne, Jeff, Greg, Jonathan, Chip, Drew, Aisha, Laura, Mark, and Dan were sitting together, watching the water at Bellingham Bay. There would be time tomorrow to talk to the media and fans but for now it was time to enjoy one another and remember Colin for how funny he was.


End file.
